District



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. W. HUGHES 82; O. R. TAYLOR. FEEDING MBOHANISM FOR ENVELOPES.

No. 495,414. Patented Apr. 11, 1893-.

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' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. W. HUGHES C. R. TAYLOR. FEEDING MECHANISM FOR- ENVELOBES.

No. 495,414. Patented Apr. '11, 1893.

IIO

UNITEI) STATES;

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES WV. HUGHES AND CASPER R. TAYLOR, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR ENVELOPES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,414, dated April 11, 1893.

Application filed August 16, 1892.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JAMES W. HUGHES and CASPER R. TAYLOR, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding Mechanisms for Envelopes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates particularly to improved feeding mechanism designed for use in envelope addressing machines, for feeding the envelopes automatically to the printing cylinders.

It is our object to provide a mechanism of the simplest and most efiective character and one in which no further work is required of the attendant than to keep the feed board supplied with envelopes arranged in a pile, the mechanism being adapted to engage the lower envelope of the pile and feed it to the cylinders. I

The invention includes a reciprocating feeding plate, which is combined with mechanism for giving it a compound movement, that is, a vertical movement at the end of each longitudinal movement so as to recede or drop below the plane of the feed board to be free from the envelopes after the completion of its forward feeding movement, and during its return to normal position, and an upward movement at the end of its return or rearward movement, in order to engage the next envelope at the bottom of the pile for feeding it forward.

The mechanism for carrying out our invention includes a rocking frame or arm with an eccentric for impart-ing movement thereto, said arm being arranged to have movement vertically and means for controlling the vertical movement of the arm as it oscillates back and forth.

In the drawings: Figure 1 represents a central vertical section through the feed board, feeding mechanism and printing cylinder. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same.

The feed board 1, upon which the envelopes or other blanks are placed is supported in inclined position in rear of the cylinders, in the usual manner upon a frame 2. An opening is formed in it, and around this opening is se- Serial No. 443,233. (No model.)

cured the reservoir for holding the envelopes which lie in a pile over the opening with the side edges extending beyond the opening and resting on the feed board within the reservoir. 5 5 The opening extends far enough to the rear to permit the feeding bar 3 to rise and engage the rear edge of the lowermost envelope. The feed plate or bar has a bearing edge or rib 4,

to engage the envelope throughout the width of the opening. The plate is inclined to con-. form substantially to the incline of the feed board and is carried by the standard 5, 5, extending upwardly from the cross bar 6, of the rocking fra me, which further consists of the dependingarms 7, the lower ends of which are bifurcated and embrace the ends of the transverseicam shaft 8. This arrangement permits the frame to oscillate toward and from the cylinders and at the same time it may" have vertical movement toward and from the pile of envelopes. The first mentioned movement toward and from the cylinder is given from 'an eccentric 0, on a transverse shaft 11 I to which the movement is transmitted through 7 5 the gears 12, 13 from the cam shaft 8. The eccentric rod is connected to the frame by means of a collar 14, adju'stably secured to the depending arm 15 of the frame, the said collar and eccentric rod being pivoted to each other.

The movement which we give to the feed bar is such that as said bar moves forward to push the lowermost envelope or blank to the printing cylinders it will follow the incline of the feed board in order to make the movement certain and accurate, having completed the forward movement the bar drops or moves down from the envelopes and then rearwardly for engaging the next blank, which has now fallen into place by reason of its own weight, and the weight of the pile. During this rearward movement the feed bar is entirely below and out of contact with the envelope and there is thus no tendency to drag or displace the blanks or envelopes. At the completion of the rearward movement the bar rises to engage the next blank, the rib moving up directly back of the rear edge of the blank, and the parts are then in position for another action. These movements are given by the combined action of the eccentric before mentioned, and

of the cams 16, on the cam shaft 8 secured adjacent to the forked ends of the arms 7 to engage the anti-friction rollers 7 X thereon.

Referring to Fig. 1 in which the bar will be seen ready to move forward for the feeding action, it will be noticed that the arms 7 are held up to the highest point by the cams, the highest parts of which are now engaging the. friction rollers. As the arms move forward under the action of the eccentric, the cams revolve in the direction of the arrow, and thus the lower parts of the cams are brought to bear on the friction roller,which permits the arms to fall gradually so that the feed bar moves along in the same plane with the incline of the feed board until the lowest limit is reached and then the lowparts 19, are below the rollers. Further movement brings the drops 20 of the cams below the rollers and the arms and feed bar now fall directly down and away from the envelopes. The cams have low concentric parts, which now act upon the rollers of the arms 7 as the eccentric is moving the rocking frame backward for a new action, the frame and the feed bar thus being maintained entirely below the envelopes. At the end of the rearward stroke the sharp rises 20 of the cams throw the feed bar up into proper position and when the highest parts of the cams come into action the bar is in position for a new feed. Any suitable form of delivery means may be used as also any desired form of driving mechanism for the various parts.

All the parts may be adjustable to suit different requirements as desired.

We claim- 1. In combination, the feed board, the fee bar, the support and carrier therefor dependo ing therefrom, pivotally supported at its lower end, and capable of having movement'vertically,in addition to its pivotal movementthe means for oscillating the depending support laterally on its lower pivot bearing and the means for moving the said support vertically as it is oscillated, substantially as described. 2. In combination,the feed board, the feed bar the support and carrier therefor depending from said bar, pivotally supported at itslower end and capable of having movement vertically, in addition to its pivotal movement the means for oscillating the depending support laterally on its lower pivot and the cam arranged adjacent to the lower pivot bearing of the depending support for operating the same vertically, substantially as described.

3. In combination, the feed board, the feed bar, the depending support therefor having the bifurcated lower end, the, shaft extending through the same, the cam on the shaft e11- gaging the support to move the same vertically and the means for oscillating the depending support on the shaft, substantially as described.

4. In combination, the inclined feed board, the feed bar, the support depending from said feed bar, pivoted at its lower end and capable of moving vertically independently of the pivotal movement the means for oscillating the support laterally on its pivot bearin gs and the means for moving the support vertically consisting of the cam having the high part, and eccentric portion extending therefrom gradually nearer the center, a drop or shoulder at the end of said eccentric part, a low part following said drop and a rise extending to the high part, whereby the feed bar will follow the incline of the feed board on its forward feeding movement and will return to normal position below said board, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we. aifix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES W. HUGHES. CASPER R. TAYLOR. Witnesses:

HENRY E. COOPER, WALTER DONALDSON. 

